2009 Europa League: First Preliminary Round Round-Up

The first ever UEFA Europa League match ended in a 2-0 victory for Olimpi Rustavi over Faroe Islands side B36 Torshavn.

The Europa League, which replaces the UEFA Cup, is in its first qualifying round.

Two goals from Giorgi Megreladze were sufficient for the Georgian side to win, but they must do without Shota Babunashvili for the second leg as he was sent off right at the death.

Sides from countries ranging from Denmark and Scotland to Luxembourg and Armenia take part today.

Highlights

Valletta of Malta took a step towards the next round with a convincing home win over Keflavik thanks to goals from Dyson Falzon, Njongo Priso, and Geert den Ouden.

Bosnian outfit Siroki Brijeg prevailed at FC Banants of Armenia, Jure Ivankovic and Tiago 'Todrigues' Rodrigues netting in Yerevan.

Last season's Champions League surprise package Anorthosis Famagusta provided the biggest win of the round by thrashing UN Kaerjeng of Luxembourg five-nil. Both Northern Irish teams were also thrashed, Linfield losing 4-0 at Randers and Lisburn Distillery managing just one consolation goal in the face of a five-goal onslaught at home to Georgia's Zestaponi.

Henrik Larsson was on the scoresheet twice as Helsingborg powered late past Armenia's FC MIKA, while Scottish outfit Motherwell were stunned at home by a Stuart Jones goal for Llaneli.

Rosenborg seem set for the next round after a Dario Zahora brace and a third from Mikael Lustig did for NSI Runavik of Iceland, and Montenegrin side Buducnost are in trouble following a 2-0 home loss to Polonia Warsaw.

It was a mixed evening for Albania, Dinamo Tirani's 4-1 loss at Lahti of Finland being balanced out by Vllaznia's 2-1 win at Sligo Rovers, while Macedonia's Renova lost 2-1 at Dinamo Minsk, Oleg Strakhanovich netting a late winner for the Belarussians.

2009 Europa League - First Preliminary Round
Wednesday July 2nd 2009

Olimpi Rustavi (Georgia) 2-0 B36 Torshavn (Faroe Islands)
Simurq Zaqatala (Azerbaijan) 0-1 Bnei Yehuda (Israel)
Dinaburg (Latvia) 2-1 Nomme Kalju (Estonia)
Banants (Armenia) 0-2 Siroki Brijeg (Bosnia/Herzegovina)
Sutjeska Niksic (Montenegro) 1-1 MTZ-RIPO (Belarus)
Lahti (Finland) 4-1 Dinamo Tirana (Albania)
Valletta (Malta) 3-0 Keflavik (Iceland)
Zimbru Chisinau (Moldova) 1-2 Okzhetpes (Kazakhstan)
Dinamo Minsk (Belarus) 2-1 Renova (FYR Macedonia)
Narva Trans (Estonia) 0-3 Rudar Velenje (Slovenia)
Szombathelyi Haladas (Hungary) 1-0 Irtysh (Kazakhstan)
Spartak Trnava (Slovakia) 2-1 Inter Baku (Azerbaijan)
Slaven Belupo (Croatia) 1-0 Birkirkara (Malta)
Grevenmacher (Luxembourg) 0-3 Veta (Lithuania)
Anorthosis (Cyprus) 5-0 Kaerjeng (Luxembourg)
Randers (Denmark) 4-0 Linfield (Northern Ireland)
NSI Runavik (Faroe Islands) 0-3 Rosenborg (Norway)
Sligo Rovers (Ireland) 1-2 Vllaznia (Albania)
Fram (Iceland) 2-1 The New Saints (Wales)
Buducnost (Montenegro) 0-2 Polonia Warsaw (Poland)
Lisburn Distillery (Northern Ireland) 1-5 Zestaponi (Georgia)
Helsingborg (Sweden) 3-1 MIKA (Armenia)
Motherwell (Scotland) 0-1 Llanelli (Wales)